Wait, it’s only Tuesday?
You can tell how my week’s been going so far just by that statement. It’s training week at work and we have section deadlines on Thursday, plus I have a paper due in class tomorrow. Catch-up time is kicking my butt! But at least I got to enjoy a good few days off from work, class and blogging in sunny rainy and 50-some degree Tampa, Fla. I’ll have a blog post soon detailing some of my adventures (Um, hello Wizarding World of Harry Potter!) but for now, since I’m so behind on blogging, I’ll play some catch-up with this recipe I made last week before I decided to jet set south.
This was my first attempt at making risotto. I was inspired to try it by one of my college acquaintances, food blogger Jamie Favazza posted a photo of one of her creations on her Instagram. (Here’s one of her recipes if you’d like to give it a try.) It took a while to put together a recipe that Jake and I both liked, but I think we nailed it.
You’ll need:
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 a white onion, chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
4 to 6 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
Even though the word “risotto” sounds intimidating, this totally wasn’t. Start by frying your squash up over medium-high heat in a little bit of olive oil with some salt and pepper until it’s browned and soft.
Set the squash aside, and start sautéing your onions over olive oil in a separate pan. You can use salt and pepper here, as well. Make sure that this pan is fairly large- you’ll be doing the rest of your cooking in it.
On a third and final burner, pour your vegetable stock into a stock pot and heat it until it’s warm.
Return to your onion pan. Add the arborio rice and stir around for about a minute. Then, add the white wine and stir until absorbed. Then you’ll start adding your stock. Risotto sounds intimidating, but it really isn’t. Add broth a ladle-ful at a time, making sure to add more each time all of the liquid in your pan is absorbed.
Just after my first pour of broth. When you’re no longer absorbing broth, you’re done. Just make sure you keep stirring the whole time. Stir in the squash and parmesan and you’re done.
Yum. This was an awesome dinner with some pretty decent leftovers, I might add. Making risotto totally wasn’t as intimidating or scary as I had originally though, so I’m definitely going to have to try it again. Anyone have any risotto recipe suggestions for me?
